Topic: Claudin-5

Cerebrovascular damage and dysfunction have been suggested to be closely related to pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The effect of adiponectin (APN), an adipocyte-secreted hormone, on the risk and progression of AD patients remains unclear. APN has been demonstrated to play a protective role in peripheral vasculature, while little is known about its impact on cerebrovascular dysfunction in AD. In this study, we examined the cerebrovascular integrity of wildtype, 5xFAD, APN knockout (APN-/-), and APN-deficient 5xFAD (5xFAD;APN-/-) mice in terms of blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeabil

Astronauts endure repetitive episodes of hypergravity (HG) during takeoff and landing of spaceflights, and also in space due to microgravity. We have recently shown subtle BBB breakdown in a mouse model of centrifugation-induced HG (Dubayle et al., 2023); here we have evaluated if the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) was also damaged in this model.Eight-week-old C57Bl/6J male mice were subjected to HG in a centrifuge at 2g for 24h, while control mice stayed in normogravity (N=9/group). Mice were sacrificed after centrifugation, and thoracic spinal cords collected for immunohistochemistry. For

Diabetes mellitus is characterized by hyperglycemia due to lack of insulin production or function. Chronic hyperglycemia leads to damage microvascular dysfunction, including in hippocampus. Previous studies found that diabetes can cause blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction and implicate cognitive decline in the hippocampus. BBB comprises endothelial cells attached with tight junctions to protect pathogens in circulation through the brain parenchyma. Interestingly, melatonin, a neurohormone secreted from pineal gland, is a neuroprotective effect and plays a vital role in learning and memory. T

Disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a key factor in the development of stroke. N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a hallucinogen alkaloid widely found in plants and animals. Beneficial effects of DMT was described in a rat stroke model, but BBB functions were not studied. Our aim was to examine the effect of DMT on the functions of the BBB following oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGDR) in a rat primary BBB co-culture system.To model stroke in vitro, OGD was introduced for 6 hours on the BBB model, followed by reoxygenation for 24 hours with or without the addition of DMT

BBB disruption is a disease-driving feature of several neurological disorders, including ALS, yet today no treatment exists to repair the BBB. Here, we screened the effect of a subcommissural organ-spondin-derived peptide (NX210c), known to promote functional recovery in several models of neurological disorders, on BBB integrity.Mouse endothelial cell (EC) monolayers and human BBBs (EC, astrocytes, pericytes) in static or microfluidic conditions, were treated with NX210c (1-100μM) or its vehicle. In mouse EC, NX210c induced a transient increase in occludin levels after 24h treatment (+37%, 100

A functional microvasculature is a paramount target for accomplishing long-lasting engineered tissues. The challenge in neuroscience is building a microvascular network that could mimic the neurovascular unit, allowing the central nervous system (CNS) vitality. The vessels invade the CNS extracellular matrix (ECM) during embryogenesis. Biomaterials can offer the structural guidance and signaling pathways to recapitulate this complex process. Our project (THOR – European Innovation Council-Pathfinder Programme, Grant Agreement number 101099719) uses high-performance functionalized silk fibers w

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, but its pathogenesis is unclear. Mounting evidence implicates the loss of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity as it exposes the brain to harmful inflammatory mediators, antibodies, and serum proteins, but to date no pharmacotherapies specifically target the BBB. Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a non-invasive, neuromodulatory strategy that transiently opens the BBB (FUS-BBBO) when coupled with microbubbles. Here, we examine FUS-BBBO as an independent therapy in a mouse model of stress-induced depression. Briefly, adult male

Insufficient evidence exists regarding the effect of nanoparticles, particularly liposomes loaded with a statin, on traumatic brain injury (TBI). We investigated the impact of atorvastatin-loaded PEG (polyethylene glycol) conjugated liposomes (LipoStatin) on outcomes in mice with TBI. PEGylated liposomes loaded with atorvastatin were developed as nanoparticles to specifically accumulate in the injury region and release the drug to lessen the harmful effects of TBI. TBI was induced using the Marmarou method, applying five consecutive head impacts at 12-hour intervals with a weight of 120 g for